Rainwater harvesting project on a budget, used IBCs okay?

[liambowman]

I'm building a small hobby farm setup in my family's place out in Hatta and the plan is to collect rainwater from a couple of large shed roofs during the short rainy season and store it through the dry months for irrigation and washing equipment. New tanks are pricey and I stumbled on https://www.crateco.ae/products/ibc-...s-used-cleaned which would let me get three or four units for what one new one costs, but my dad is skeptical about using anything second hand that we don't know the full history of. He's worried about whether "cleaned" means they just drained whatever was in there and rinsed it once with a garden hose or if there's an actual sanitization process involved, because even a small amount of industrial residue could mess up the soil over time. Has anyone bought these exact used IBCs and can tell me what condition the inner bladder was in, any staining or smell left behind, and whether the cages were rust free or starting to flake? Trying to convince the old man this is a smart move and not me being cheap.

[fredericazelah]

Your dad's instinct is right, "cleaned" can mean anything from a hose rinse to a proper wash. Ask the supplier what the tanks held and get it in writing. If they can't name the previous contents, I'd walk away for anything touching soil or crops.

[gawaincarharrack]

Smart move on the budget, rainwater storage is exactly where used tanks make sense. Don't sweat the cost angle with your dad, buying three for the price of one is just good planning. Hope the rainy season fills them up nicely.

[heloisechynoweth]

Set up something similar on a small plot near Fujairah and used IBCs worked fine for me. The bladders had a faint smell at first, so I filled and flushed them twice before using the water. Wrap or paint them too, because the sun turns clear ones green with algae fast.

[ingramcury]

Do a simple test before relying on them. Fill with clean water, leave it a few days, then check for any odor, film or discoloration and test the pH. Also add a first flush diverter on the roof inlet and a mesh screen, since debris and bird droppings will cause you more trouble than residue.

[josephineellery]

What did these tanks hold before, and does the listing say? For irrigation that matters more than the cage rust. Also, how much roof area are you collecting from, and have you worked out whether three or four tanks will actually fill in a short rainy season?